Is This How Friends are Made?
by Chibii94
Summary: Seven-yeah-old Mello has a new roommate. He's not sure what to think of this redheaded gamer kid.


Roger had to take a few moments to gather his thoughts before knocking on the door. One hand rested on the firey red hair of a seven-year-old boy.. Watari had asked Roger to introduce the new kid to his roommate. Honestly, Roger wasn't sure about this one. What was so special about this little waif from Ireland who hadn't looked up from his GameBoy since arriving? Maybe he would be so absorbed in the game he wouldn't be bothered by his new roommate's….special ways of expressing himself. Well, whatever happens happens. He knocked on the door, opening it without waiting for a response.

Mello was lying on his stomach on the floor, open book in front of him. He actually looked like a normal child when he was reading like this. He had only been at Wammy's for a few months, but in that time he had already driven off one roommate. Poor G hadn't stood a chance. Mello kept making him cry, so they were split up, leaving Mello alone. Mello had to learn social skills one way or another, and Watari seemed to think that this kid would teach him some. Roger had no idea how, the new kid didn't seem to have any social skills of his own.

Mello looked up, and something in those cold blue eyes still unnerved Roger. Mello was just a child, but there was something about him that seemed...too old. As though the world had already made him callous and jaded. It was wrong for a child to have such a stare. Roger shook his head to clear his thoughts and put on his best semblance of an optimistic smile.

"Mello, this is Matt. Not his real name, of course. He just came from Ireland and he'll be your new roommate. He's seven years old, just like you. Matt, you'll be on that bed" He gestured to the bed on the right wall, "And I believe what possessions you have were already put into the drawers. You two will probably be spending a lot of time together, so I'll leave you to get acquainted." He quickly turned and walked out of the room, closing the door and leaving the two boys alone.

Mello got up from the floor and regarded this new creature closely. His gaze wandered from the messy red hair to the orange-lensed goggles to the GameBoy still making obnoxious beeping noises in his hand. The other boy was about the same height as him, and wearing a black t shirt and denim shorts. Well, at least he didn't mind being stared at. In Mello's family, manners had not really been a priority, and when he first arrived he got yelled at a lot for being too loud, too rough, or just too blunt. Why hadn't Matt looked up or said anything? Could that thing really be that interesting? Mello wasn't interested in making friends, but this new person could at least be entertaining.

Mello waved his hand in front of the screen, looking for a reaction. Matt looked up for a moment. He seemed to consider his options, then saved the game and turned it off. It was Matt's turn to take in Mello. His blond hair hung messily around his face, which seemed permanently displeased. His blue eyes drilled into Matt, searching for his reaction. Matt tilted his head to the side.

"What?"

Mello's gaze softened slightly, satisfied that he had elicited some sort of response. Now that he had Matt's attention, he wasn't quite sure what to do with it, so he just asked the first question that popped into his head.

"What's so interesting about that game?"

Matt shrugged "It's fun. I like games. Do you?"

Mello frowned "Not really." He gave up. Matt was boring. He laid back down on the floor and went back to reading. He would probably make him cry, then have the room to himself again. No one ever really stayed around Mello for very long. Except his parents, and even they were gone now. His parents had been shot in a dispute with another mafia family. They came after him, and it was pure dumb luck that Wammy had gotten to him first. Mello pushed the thought from his mind. He couldn't think about his parents for very long before he started crying and shaking in fear, and that was the last thing he wanted to do around Matt. He would be gone soon enough, anyway.

Matt went to the chest of drawers to see what of his stuff had made it. His game systems and games were in the bottom drawer all mixed up. He would sort them later. His clothes were in the next drawer up, neatly folded. He looked in the desk drawer. There was a notebook and set of pencils he didn't recognize, likely given to him for school. On top of the notebook was a bar of chocolate and a red lollipop, each with a note attached. Matt wasn't the best reader, but he deciphered "Give this to Mello" on the chocolate and "Welcome, Matt" on the lollipop. The lollipop must be for him. He unwrapped the candy and popped it into his mouth. He preferred orange candy, but cherry was good too.

Mello had looked up again when he heard the wrapper. Seeing this, Matt picked up the chocolate bar, discarding the note, and held it out to Mello. Mello looked instantly suspicious, but approached the offering. It must have been left by one of the caretakers to try and help break the ice between them. Everyone knew about Mello's obsession with chocolate. He would steal it from the kitchen and other kids when no one was looking. He took the chocolate, examining the wrapper closely. It was a brand he recognized, and the wrapper hadn't been tampered with. He had been taught to be very careful accepting food from people, but this appeared to be safe. He opened the wrapper and bit into it with a loud snap.

"You like chocolate?" Matt had decided to make at least a little effort. He would be living with this kid, after all.

"Of course I do, stupid." Mello hated being asked obvious questions.

"Do you like living here?" Matt asked. Mello didn't look like he liked anything, except the chocolate he was quickly devouring.

"It's all right. Beats where I came from." Mello licked chocolate off of his fingers.

"Which is…?" Ugh, this was like figuring out a code to get in a door. Every attempt was getting denied.

Mello shot a scary glare at Matt, "None of your beeswax." clearly upset, he jumped onto his bed and picked up a notebook and pencil. Matt licked the lollipop, unfazed.

"What are you writing?" Now Matt was actually interested. Mello was now a challenge. Mission: make him talk.

"What part of 'none of your beeswax' did you not understand, buttface? I thought this was a home for the 'gifted.' Unless your gift is being annoying, then it makes perfect sense." Mello didn't like Matt's interest. Anyone who showed that level of interest in Mello always ended up getting all nervous when he talked about himself. Like he was some sort of monster. Even Roger was uncomfortable around him. Roger thought Mello didn't notice that he avoided Mello's gaze and got this weird look whenever he did make eye contact. It was better if people just didn't even try and left him alone.

Matt looked at Mello's book, still lying open on the floor. It looked above Matt's level, but Matt hadn't really been to school. He hadn't read much, but it was worth a shot.

"Is that book for school, or for fun?" Matt wasn't going to let Mello's insults deter him. He'd heard plenty worse than anything a seven-year-old could spit.

Mello leveled his signature cold stare straight into Matt's goggle-covered eyes. "I don't wanna talk to you. You're a pest." That one had made G cry, it should at least shut Matt up.

Matt didn't even flinch. He looked into Mello's eyes calmly, without that put-off look everyone seemed to have. It was Mello's turn to be unnerved. There was something different about him. Maybe he wasn't so bad. He looked back at his notebook.

Matt knew he had cracked the code. Back in Ireland, he had learned to show no fear, and Mello was trying to scare him. It wouldn't work. Maybe it would be okay to have a friend. He was always hearing about them, but he had never made an effort to make any.

Matt picked up his GameBoy and turned it back on, tossing the stick from the Lollipop in the trash. He wanted to return to something he knew, at least for a while. Without asking, he sat on the other end of Mello's bed, game in hand. He felt Mello's gaze burn into his head as he started playing, but the edge was gone. Was this how people made friends?

Mello was shocked when the redheaded twerp had sat on his bed, invading his space. He gave him another stare, but he was thoroughly ignored. Most other kids didn't want to come near him after he insulted them a few times. Well, he certainly wasn't going to get rid of this kid like he had planned, maybe he would keep him around. Make a friend, like all his teachers kept telling him to do. It was a start.


End file.
